Best Concert You've Ever Been To

[WolfpackWife]

Someone started this same thread on a wedding forum I participated in while engaged. It was really interesting to hear the stories recounting the best concerts people had ever seen.

To date, my top two most favorite concerts I've been to would have to be the Black Crowes in Asheville NC in 2009. We were in the third row and are big Crowes fans and it was just an amazing show. Second would have to be Alison Krauss and Union Station in August of 2011. We were newly engaged and went to see her in this amazing outdoor venue and being HUGE Alison Krauss fans, we were SO excited to see her not just with Union Station but also with Jerry Douglas. It was the most amazing night of music I'd ever heard. She is magical to me!

[Phoebe]

U2 in 2001 while Pregnant with DD1. Dave Matthews is a close second

[HouseofWool]

In terms of quality of entertainment? Hands down Elton John - bonus because we saw it for free (we helped work a concession stand and then snuck into a balcony to watch the show). Sting puts on a hell of show too.

We once went to see the Moody Blues with my parents - it was a hoot because the crowd was pretty evenly split between younger 20-somethings and their parents.

[weeniegeniewife]

Kiss, Motley Crue, Van Halen (3x), Yanni (5x), Sarah Brightman (5x), Alabama....and many, many more. Can you tell how eclectic my music tastes are? I would love to see Godsmack live, but I don't think they are touring.

[ides]

Hummm, a few that stuck with me were:
Orbital in 94
Spiritualized in 98
Pavement in 96

[diggitydot]

My favorite concert was a festival show put on by KNRK (alt rock station in PDX) with Garbage, The Flies, Eve6, Cake, and Soul Coughing.

[SuzySunshine]

Definitely U2, their last tour we saw it Minneapolis.

[oceanchild]

I am not a big concert-goer, but a couple years ago I saw Ben Folds at the Ogden Theatre here in Denver. My sister got us into the VIP section, so the view was amazing, and I had a blast. Another favorite was seeing my sister light the Lumineers last year at a festival in Telluride, Colorado, which might be one of the most beautiful places on earth. And maybe Idina Menzel with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks last summer? Because something at Red Rocks really should be on the list.

Notice these are all in the last 2 years. My concert-going memory is apparently not too good, either.

[niener]

30STM and New Politics on Halloween night, 2010. It was an oversold concert in a small venue, everyone was packed in so tightly that at some points I could pick up both of my feet and not fall to the ground. The bands and the crowd were just soooo intense; it was frightening but exhilarating. I ended up with quite a few bruises the next day and a broken shoe. I started off in the second row but by the end of the night had been shifted back by the constant movement of the crowd to around the 12th row and got completely separated from my friend within the first 5 minutes.

The other that sticks in my mind was from that same year, Deluna Fest 2010. It was the beach festival's first year but I don't think they promoted it well because the crowds were quite small considering the line-up (STP, Bush, 311, Daughtry, Michael Franti, Edward Sharpe) so you could get really close, plop your beach chair down in the sand and just hang out all day. Gorgeous venue.

My first concert ever was Bob Dylan (I'm gonna guess 1998-ish) and was most memorable for the smell -- that's the night I learned what weed was, LOL.

[HouseofWool]

E took me to see Pearl Jam once (it was his fav band at the time) at an outdoor venue. I had to leave because the smell of the pot was making me nauseous. That was easily the worst concert ever.

[MsSassyBaskets]

Hm. Probably Bon Iver at First Ave a few years ago. Or MIA at First Ave a few years ago. Niener, you just reminded me that I went to a Bob Dylan concert in college but I guess it wasn't that great since I barely remember. Ohh, I also saw P-Funk in college, that was a good one!

[diggitydot]

That was easily the worst concert ever.

Seriously? That kind of surprises me. I know some bands aren't notoriously good touring bands, but I'm surprised to find that PJ is one of them. Garbage isn't supposed to be good live (they rely on a lot of electronics and production for their sound), but the set I saw them do was acoustic and really great.

A great touring band? Rush. Not my kind of music and I was dragged there by my sister who desperately wanted to see them live, but they put on a surprisingly good show. Neil Peart is a god on the drums and you can tell that these are talented, classically-trained musicians.

I REALLY want to see Flogging Molly.

[HouseofWool]

I have no idea if PJ actually puts on a good show. I'm not a huge fan of their music, there's less than half a dozen songs that I truly love. But I was so sick because of the pot that the options came down to leaving after roughly 30 minutes or risk me puking on the crowd.

[WolfpackWife]

I REALLY want to see Flogging Molly.

DH drove to Boston with fraternity brothers one St. Patricks day (hello, cliche) and saw them and said it was one of the best shows he's ever seen, hands down. I'm sure he would highly recommend.

[WolfpackWife]

But I was so sick because of the pot that the options came down to leaving after roughly 30 minutes or risk me puking on the crowd.

That was probably miserable! See, I love the smell, which is probably how I've been able to survive and enjoy so many Widespread Panic, Allman Brothers, and DMB concerts!